Public Service
by GuardianSoulBlade
Summary: Kevin Levin is finally captured after long years of eluding all authorities in the galaxy. He is given a choice, be shot on sight or join a Section of the Japanese government. Kevin knows a good deal when he sees one and takes the job. GITS:SAC fusion.
1. Chapter 1: Reboot

**Public Service**

Kevin Levin is finally captured after long years of eluding all authorities in the galaxy. He is given a choice, be shot on sight or join a Section of the Japanese government. Kevin knows a good deal when he sees one and takes the job. Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex fusion.

**Chapter One: Reboot**

Kevin Ethan Levin had spent years running away, eluding Ben Tennyson, his arch nemesis, or was it the other way around that he was the arch nemesis? He wasn't really sure of anything anymore. His sanity had dissolved until only thoughts off hatred and revenge remained.

He'd watched as humanity had literally fallen apart, world wars had broken out, changing the very continent of America, now the Ameri-Soviets and the United States of America, along with the American Empire.

He'd made big money off this of course, using his knowledge of alien tech to sell information and prototypes to the highest bidder. It had made him wealthy, he'd played all sides of the game, but all the money in the world could not change him back to the handsome 28 year old he had been, that was eleven years ago. He'd become used to life as a misshapen abomination, but he desperately wanted to change back.

He'd settled down in Japan, the other nations of the world weren't pulling in enough profit, but in Japan he could find a buyer for anything he had to sell and that was fine with him.

He wasn't really surprised when the Japanese government came down him, what _did _surprise him was the fact that they came down on him with guns blazing with orders to shoot to kill if he didn't surrender.

He smiled to himself; some of the good guys did have spines after all.

Kevin was hunkered down behind a wall, avoiding gunfire. There was that persistent girl again. He'd managed to wound a few of her men, including an older guy with prosthetic eyes who put up a really good fight, but this one just wouldn't go away.

He could unleash his attacks and use all the chaos to get away, but this lady was real good, he'd heard the older guy call her "Queen Kong" or something like that. This one was really good, he had to admit it. He played scenarios over and over in his head, and unfortunately, she won every time, but he had to give it a shot.

He launched himself from his hiding place and fired every single one of his alien powers at her. He expected all the lasers to hit her at once but she avoided them all at inhuman speed and he launched a steel pipe at her like a spear.

The woman calmly stared down the scope of her gun and fired, Kevin watched in awe as the bullet split the pipe in half, unfortunately, he wasn't quick enough to avoid it and fired three shots into his body, they weren't fatal, but it was extremely painful.

"You're a real good with those powers you son of a bitch. From now on, you're mine!" the Major told him.

Kevin sighed; there was no debating with this woman to change her mind. She reminded him of Gwen, but she was far more terrifying.

Kevin was led away in cuffs that prevented any use of his powers. He wondered if they'd take him to some lab and experiment on him like he was a freak. No one cared about him; they didn't even give him a second thought.

"What do you people intend to do with me?" he asked. He saw an elderly man, whose face resembled an ape walk into the room.

"It's quite simple really," Daisuke Aramaki said. "We want your criminal expertise and knowledge of the alien technology that made you so wealthy. Work for us long enough and we'll wipe your record clean. Even get you reinstated as a Plumber, if that's what you want."

"And if I turn down this generous offer?" Kevin asked.

"It's quite simple; the Major will blow your sorry head off after I give the order for your termination. The fact that you've been selling your technology to both our government and that of the American Empire is something we cannot ignore. So we were assigned to catch you. I'm offering you a win-win situation, you will work for us, in exchange you use your various connections in the black market to help us in cases and once you've proven yourself, we'll give you what you want."

"You'll fix my body?" Kevin asked hopefully. He didn't care if they made him dress in a Barney suit, he wanted to be _normal._

"We'll give you an alternative, Kevin. We'll cyberize your brain and place it in a completely cyberized body, you'd have a human form, but your powers will be gone, but I doubt that it would bother you to be rid of it. Or we can attempt a painful reversal of the body you're currently in. But we'll see if we can return your body to normal. If we are successful, we'll transfer your cyberbrain back to your original body."

"I'll take a fake body over this one any day," Kevin said, his eyes widened as a familiar face entered the room.

"Ben Tennyson," Kevin sighed. "I didn't think you were the type to work for the government."

"I could say the same about you, so what'd they bribe you with this time? Money, women, status, a get-out-of-jail-free card? I'm here because the Ameri-Soviets didn't want me around." Ben smirked.

"I'm not like that, and you know it!"

"The way you treated Gwen, I highly doubt it."

"Just shut up!" Kevin snarled. "Where is she?"

"Gwen is dead, Kevin. A plane crash, seven years ago. You were too busy destroying things to get the news. Not that you cared anyway. They tried to save her with some experimental treatment, I never heard if it worked out."

Kevin was stricken. Despite the fact that he had always disliked Ben, he'd always enjoyed Gwen's company. It just seemed impossible that something as mundane as a plane crash could take the life of someone who had fought against him time and again, across the galaxy.

"I don't believe you! You're lying!"

"She's dead, Kevin, I'm sorry." He turned and left the stunned Osmosian alone in a shocked stupor. Major Kusanagi stared at him impassively and watched him go.

Togusa led him down to the lab where they would begin his cyberization. The Major entered a room where Ben was waiting for her.

"That was harsh Tennyson," Motoko told him in private.

"It's the truth though, you don't remember me, or your parents or anything else since you woke up, all they managed to salvage was your brain Gwen. They even gave you a new name you've been using for over a decade. It's not like me calling you Gwen means anything to you now. In a way, my cousin Gwen Tennyson _is_ dead."

"All that exists is Motoko Kusanagi, combat wiz and member of Section 9, I know, you've said it before. Still, it is nice that you keep trying to help me remember, that would be nice to be able to put names with faces."

"Keep an eye on him okay, he's a big pain," Ben warned.

"So I gather," Motoko shrugged. "It doesn't bother you that you lied to him? Or the fact that I kill terrorists?"

"The world isn't as black and white as it was when we were teens. The world's fallen apart; I do my best to stop the aliens. I try not to kill them, but sometimes, there are no other options, but I'll let your conscience handle it."

He gave her a smile. "I find it kind of hard to believe that you dated him."

"Really? He doesn't seem like my type."

"That's what I thought. Are you still seeing that girl?" he asked, that was an awkward question, but he wanted to be a part of her life after all.

"Does it really matter?" she asked. She didn't have any moral restraints or care what people thought of her for what she did. She wanted to experience everything in life she could, even if it wasn't right by someone's moral standards.

"You used to like guys you know," Ben said.

"I do, but according to you, I always picked the wrong ones," she barely hinted a smile. "Maybe one day I'll find a good one, but not right now. And none of this bothers you?"

"It's your life, I can't tell you what to do. I have to get back to work now," Ben said, he had to get going.

"I'll be going now Gwen, take care of yourself, Major," Ben said, he turned and left.

Major Motoko Kusanagi frowned and went back to work. She went down to the basement where the lab was. They were outfitting Kevin Levin with a fully prosthetic body, at least until they could reverse his monstrous body back to normal.

Putting together a body for Kevin wasn't that hard, they'd simply copied the photos of him that they had and designed his body to look about 38 years old. Ben had mentioned that he was one year her senior so he was 39.

Major Kusanagi frowned at a thought that entered her head, and put it out of her mind. Kevin Levin didn't mean anything to her, just like the name Gwen Tennyson didn't mean anything to her. Her relationship with him would only be professional. Still, the quest to find her lost memories was something she didn't want to give up. She saw them finish putting Kevin Levin together as they inserted his cyberbrain. She put it out of her mind. She had work to do.

_**Author's Note: **__If I didn't make the Major bi, the fans would hate me, so it's staying in there. It won't be in the story itself, but if I didn't write her that way, it would be a disservice to the characters, so deal with it._


	2. Chapter 2: Veritas

**Chapter Two: Veritas **

There was something interesting about his new prosthetic body, he had enhanced strength and speed and inhuman stamina. He could change the sensitivity of his skin and enhance his vision. He could also link with another person's brain and communicate with them. Technology on Earth now rivaled that of many other planets, in fact aliens were doing their best to just keep up with Earth technology these days. It was funny that he had once considered his planet to be backward compared to all the things he'd seen. It was strange how things changed.

Kevin Levin was happy with his new body. He was overjoyed that he was back to normal. Well as normal as being a Cyborg could be. He'd adjusted rather well, but recovery and relearning everything had been Hell. Still, he was bound and determined to return to a somewhat normal life.

The training Section 9 recruits went through was grueling. But he was very impressed. Even in his prosthetic body he still had to push himself just accomplishing the rigorous training they went through. He'd even managed to pass the test of being able to track the Major, no small feat there.

Although he hadn't been issued a gun or permitted to go out in the field with them, he still used his vast knowledge of alien technology to help them with cases. He thought it was rather boring, but it was better than being locked away.

"Ishikawa is there anything you need me for?" he asked dully. "I'm gonna take a smoking break."

Kevin went outside and lit up a cigarette. The nicotine was nice, what was even better was the fact that with his prosthetic body, he wouldn't be able to get lung cancer and that was a relief.

"Taking a break I see," Major Kusanagi observed. "We need your help. Get a gun. But don't even think about running."

"Yes Ma'am!" he replied. They were finally going to let him do something besides stare at a computer screen and gather data.

"Batou, Togusa, Saito, Kevin, come with me. We've got a bunch of crazy Knights on our hands."

"Knights, are you serious? Like Medieval period and all that crap," Batou asked, skeptical.

"The Forever Knights are a group that uses both Earth and Alien technology to battle dragons, actually alien life forms that resemble dragons. They also deal in black market alien tech," Motoko told them. "At least, that's what we've been able to gather on them."

"Just how good is this tech they sell?" Togusa queried.

"Good enough that if it were used in a war, the other side would definitely be screwed," she replied. "We're going to need Kevin's dubious attributes to set up a meeting with the leaders of this group, and then we'll capture them all. They've been arming anarchist groups around Japan and it's not a good thing."

"So all I get to do is talk? Where's the fun in that?" Kevin asked. "I won't even get to use my gun."

"You might have to. But don't worry; we'll be with you, completely invisible to them. You just act as you would normally, since you've sold a lot to them, they trust you; just make up a believable story. Knowing you, that shouldn't be too hard."

Kevin had to wonder what would happen if this mission went off without a hitch, maybe he'd be respected as an official member of Section 9 and not just the criminal who got lucky enough to "work" in law enforcement. He'd heard stories about the others, the Major, Batou, Saito, Pazu, Borma and Togusa, getting into some really interesting situations that made for great stories.

Not that he didn't have great stories but no one ever asked him about his hero days. Not that anyone remembered that he had been a hero for a short time. Besides, memories of Gwen brought back pain he didn't want to think about, he'd just go drink more alcohol and smoke.

Kevin had reconciled with his mother, he still didn't like Harvey but chose to ignore him. He'd managed to get all his old things from his house. He stared down at a photograph of him and Gwen. The thought that she was dead seemed surreal, he always expected to turn around and see her frowning or scolding him.

"What's that?" Batou asked curiously, Kevin didn't seem like the type to keep pictures. He'd become something like Pazu, something of a player and ladies man. Not that Kevin was like Pazu with his "never sleep with the same woman twice" thing, but Kevin did seem to enjoy sex in his new body. Still he never kept pictures of his dates in his wallet, and judging by the age of the photo, it was really old.

"Just a photo, it's nothing," Kevin tried to shoo the big man away.

"Then you won't mind if I looked at it," Batou said as he swapped it out of Kevin's hand before he could protest.

"Give it back!" Kevin growled.

"She's pretty, never seen you with a redhead. What's her name?" Batou was amused. There was something nice about that girl. She seemed too nice for him.

"Her name was Gwen. She's dead now, give it back."

"She was special to you, huh?" Batou smiled. He handed the photo back. "Don't get distracted, we gotta work now."

Kevin put the photo down on his desk. He walked out of the room. The Major passed by the desk and stopped, unsure of why, she picked up the photo.

_Gwen Tennyson, Prom 2010. _It was supposed to be her. But it didn't register in her mind. For some reason, all the memories of anything before the crash were inaccessible to her. Not even her superb hacking skills could unlock her own past.

Motoko Kusanagi was her life now; still the girl in the picture was the identity her cousin had told her she had been. If that was true, then why hadn't her memories returned, why didn't anything that Ben associated with her triggered the memories yet.

She put the photo away and walked out to the van.

* * *

It was an abandoned storage unit; the team had arrived using their active camouflage upon arrival; except for Kevin who had told them he had some new tech for them to buy.

"Kevin Levin," a voice greeted him. It was Patrick, the Forever King. He looked very frail and seemed very feeble, but his voice was still commanding.

"What have you brought us today?" he asked.

"I'm surprised you showed up," Kevin admitted, he hadn't expected him to come, he expected to see Conner.

"You always provided us with excellent merchandise. I see you have a full prosthetic body. Apparently you found your cure."

"Not exactly, this is temporary; I need more money to pay for research. That's why I'm selling you this," Kevin ushered to a large box. "Factory-made laser lances, and with all the tweaks and upgrades I added, it should blow away anyone trying to stop you."

"That's good to know," Patrick said, "I'll test it…on you! That prosthetic body is way too expensive, even for you to afford. Besides, the fact that you showed up here proves that we were right to be suspicious of this deal, rumors had been circulating you'd been caught by the government. Whatever deal you made with them is going to cost you your life!"

"Oh, I don't think so, if you want to worry about someone's life then worry about your own!" Motoko said, becoming visible, the active camouflage was something he'd _have _to try sooner or later. He hadn't even seen where she was.

Motoko fired off three shots; they unexpectedly missed because two Forever Knights stepped forward and used their shields to block the bullets. Whatever they were made out of made them pretty tough and they were ready for a fight.

Immediately, she gave the order for Batou, Saito and Togusa to open fire. Kevin drew his gun and joined in. A few Knights dropped dead as Saito's bullet's found their marks; he'd noticed weak spots in the armor between where the helmets met the neckline.

She was moving, removing a small knife, she stabbed the Knight in the neck and he dropped dead. She moved quickly and fired at Patrick as he tried to flee, Aramaki said that she could kill the leader if necessary, but should try to bring him in for questioning. She aimed at his legs and fired. He hit the floor and she moved over him as he tried to get to his feet.

"Chief, we have the Forever King in custody," she said, suddenly a Knight burst into the room.

"You'll pay for this!" he screamed, and began charging, she took aim, but before she could get off a shot, she saw a bullet enter his head. She looked over and saw Kevin holding his gun and the smoke emanating from the barrel.

"Not a bad shot, Kevin," she congratulated. "But I had him."

"Just watching your back, Major," he said. "I didn't think it'd be this easy to take down Conner though."

"Let's get him out of here, hopefully, that's the last we'll see of them." They hauled Patrick away.

"Maybe we'll bring you on more field missions, you're starting to earn your keep here," Motoko said. Kevin frowned, unsure of what to think.

"She likes you, or she wouldn't have said that," Batou told him. "Seems like you'll fit in just fine."

Motoko was on her way out after filling out paperwork when she saw Ben waiting for her.

"Would you mind following me? There's something I want to show you." He led her to a very nice looking suburban American style house in the middle of Nihama.

"Motoko…Gwen, won't you go on in?" Ben asked.

"Where am I?" she inquired.

"This, is an exact replica of your old house, I have a lot of money now so I had it built, hoping that it might help trigger something. Why don't you look around? Maybe it will help you remember."

She began to wander around, touching various objects in the house. She wandered through the kitchen and made her way to the master bedroom. She saw pictures of a happy family, but nothing seemed to help her.

Wandering into Ken's room, she saw photos of college and childhood pictures. Still nothing.

"Ben, this isn't working," she told him flatly. "I really have to go back to work."

"You haven't gone into your room yet. If nothing happens once you go in, then you can go back to work."

"Fine," she walked into the room. Something clicked in her mind. Everything felt familiar here, old clothes that she suddenly remembered wearing, old music CDs from bands that she'd enjoyed. She moved carefully over to a small framed picture and picked it up.

It was her. And Kevin Levin. The memories flooded her mind like a torrent. Gwen put down the photo and sat down.

"Gwen, are you alright?" he asked, he noted the expression on her face and knew she remembered some things. He was unsure of how to tell her about what happened to Lilli, Frank and Ken.

"Ben, what happened to Mom, Dad, and Ken?" she asked.

"They're dead Gwen; they died in the plane crash that put you in that prosthetic body."

Gwen buried her face in her hands, she didn't cry, she'd become used to hiding her emotions. Still, the shock of losing her entire family was a lot for her to take in.

"For once, I'm glad that I didn't know any of this when I first woke up. I don't think I could have handled it."

"You're very strong Gwen, one of the strongest people I know. What are you going to do now?"

"I'm going to take some time off. I need to be by myself for awhile I think. I have my vacation."

"What about Kevin?" Ben asked.

"What about him? I may have liked him a long time ago, but I know how he is, and it's not like I matter to him now anyways. You've heard what he likes to do in his off time."

"You have that side business, so you don't have any right to judge him."

"Heh, figures you'd say something like that."

"I think he does it because he misses you. He thinks you're dead."

"Not that it matters, would it really make a difference? If he finds out I'm alive, he won't change. I always hoped he would and that I could help him, but look what happened. We fixed him once, but then he couldn't control the cravings for energy. He nearly killed me. I gave up trying to help him. I always believed that he could be better. That he'd do what's right. Funny, I used to believe in doing the right thing and justice like Togusa does. But too much has happened and the world isn't so black and white and simple anymore."

"Togusa is a good man, he thinks like you used to, before the accident. I was at his trial. I'm shocked you hacked his brain in front of everyone."

"What can I say, I have my talents."

"So are you going to tell Kevin the truth or not?"

"I don't know. I'm unsure of what to do. I'll tell him when I think I'm ready. I'm going to call the Chief and request some time off."

"Gwen," Ben said, smiling.

"What Ben?" she asked.

"I'm glad you're back. You'll be needing this," Ben tossed his cousin her old Plumbers Badge.

She took it and put it in a pocket.

"Where are they buried?" Gwen asked.

"In the Nihama Cemetery," Ben replied. "I thought they should be buried where you are so you could visit them."

"Thanks Ben, I'll see you later."

Gwen walked out of the house and got into her car.

"Chief," Gwen said, linking to her boss through her cyberbrain.

"Yes, Major," he replied.

"Chief, my memories have all come back and…I need some time off, to sort my thoughts and grieve. I lost my brother and parents. You understand."

"Of course, Major," Aramaki told her. Ben had informed him about his cousin's background. He'd told him about Gwen and had requested that she be put in Section 9 to make good use of her talents. Not that he needed to request anything because Aramaki had served with her and knew that he needed a good commanding officer who could get the job done.

"Take all the time you need, come back when you feel you're at full capacity," Daisuke nodded. Gwen cut her connection to him and headed off to a flower shop to buy some to put on her family's grave.

Walking into Nihama Cemetery, she asked the caretaker where the Tennysons were buried. She was led to their graves and knelt down in front of their tombstones. She'd brought an offering for all of them, their favorite foods, as was Japanese culture. She'd become used to the cultural differences and enjoyed life in Japan.

"Mom, Dad, Ken, I'm sorry I couldn't save you, I barely managed to survive that plane crash and it's not fair that you're all gone and I'm alone."

"Hello Major," a voice said behind her.

"Hello Batou," Gwen said quietly. "The Chief tell you where I was?"

"Yeah, said you got your memory back. Your real name is Gwen, huh? So you are the girl in Kevin's photo."

"Yes, but while we're at work just address me as usual. Kevin kept a picture of me. Didn't think he cared."

"I think I like the name Motoko better," Batou gave her a smile. "I'm sorry about your loss. As for Kevin, you have strange tastes in men."

"Thanks," she smiled. "I'll be back to work in a few days."

"Are you sure you'll be all right?"

"I'll be fine in no time at all," she heard him turn and leave. She stayed for a few moments, and then left the graves. She returned to her house and sat down quietly.

Kevin Levin, what was she going to do about him? She'd been attracted to him, but that was ages ago. The silly crush she'd had on him had been reciprocated, but when he'd turned into a monster again she'd tried to help him revert back. Mike had come up with a plan to revert Kevin using her as the bait, it had worked and he'd been cured, but eventually, he lost control and reverted back to a misshapen monster. Trying to find a way to talk sense into him, she'd nearly died. Ben had told her to put away her Plumber's badge and that she was far too nice for the job and her desire that no one be hurt had hurt her instead.

Wanting to cheer her up, her parents had planned a trip to Japan, Ken was getting a very nice job over there, and he wanted to look for a place to live, so they'd decided to make a vacation of it, wanting to distract her. She felt it was an odd choice for a vacation, she wasn't an anime fan and that sort of thing didn't appeal to her, but she did know that Japan was very beautiful so she'd enjoyed the trip. It was on her way home that the plane had crashed and since the nearest hospital was in Japan, she'd been taken there.

It was strange that Kevin had eagerly accepted the option of a prosthetic body, but then again, she couldn't blame him. Being a horrible monster wasn't something he'd wanted to do; he'd done it to stop Aggregor. He had been returned to normal but eventually, his lust for energy had overtaken his sanity and it had all gotten worse from there.

Her emotions regarding Kevin were much different than before. Had she been her old self she would have been glad that Kevin was back to normal. Now she didn't care either way and the black market deals he conducted were of no consequence to her either, but she knew that the Chief had forced him to stop selling due to the fact that he tended to sell them to less than scrupulous people.

Since her emotions regarding Kevin were rather dormant she decided not to tell him anything. It wasn't his business to know about what happened, he had just believed Ben and never even gave her a second thought.

She heard someone knock on her door and opened it quietly. A smile crossed her face at the sight of the man in front of her.

"Grandpa!" she let him in. Max Tennyson walked in and found a comfortable place to sit.

"Hi Pumpkin, I'm glad to see you remembered me. I know that it's been hard for you, not remembering everything, and it must be hard now that you do. Ben told me that you got your memory back."

"I know you're going through a lot, but let's go fishing, just like we used to," Max suggested.

"You still have poles?" she asked.

"Yep, I have them in the back of the truck."

They drove to a nice fishing spot Max said had a good view and plenty of fish. They got out and began fishing. They hadn't caught anything when someone walked up to them.

"Major, is that you?" Togusa asked. He'd been taking a walk outside and found a very nice pond that he liked to visit. He could see a woman, clearly the Major, sitting next to an elderly gentlemen. They were both fishing and even though his boss didn't smile, she appeared to be enjoying herself. He'd heard from Batou that she'd asked for some time off.

"Togusa, what brings you here?"

"I'm out for a walk, and who is this?"

"My grandfather, Max Tennyson."

"Hello there," Max greeted him. "So you work with my granddaughter?"

"Yes, I do sir, she's a very strict and professional boss," Togusa said.

"Your last name is Tennyson, as in Ben Tennyson? The hero?"

"Yes, that's me, Gwen is his cousin."

"That's your real name Major? Gwen Tennyson?"

"Yes, but don't tell Kevin about me."

"You have history with Levin? He doesn't seem like your type," Togusa laughed.

"Back when I knew him a long time ago, I wanted to help him. He seemed to be better when he spent time with Ben and me, but then things happened and he became a monster again, I tried my best, but he wanted power more than he wanted me. Then my parents and brother died in a plane crash and I ended up in this body with no memory of anything. Ben always did say I was too nice for Plumber's business."

"That's the intergalactic law enforcement agency isn't it? They keep coming up in Levin's reports."

"Yes, I was a Plumber myself for awhile, but I haven't been active. At least if any alien related things come up, I'll have the authority to make use of the team."

"Wouldn't the Chief object?"

"All governments in the world recognize the Plumber's badge, so even the Japanese government will recognize us," Max explained to the Public Security member. 'We have the authority to do what we need to regarding extraterrestrials."

"I see, well, I'll be getting back to work. Enjoy your time off, Major."

Spending the rest of the afternoon fishing with Grandpa Max had helped her relax. Ben called her and told her that Julie wanted to take them out for dinner to catch up and she gladly went with them.

They brought her ten year old nephew, Kenny Tennyson, named for her older brother, she'd been happy to see him. They brought with them an eleven year old, and it surprised her. The boy resembled Kevin Levin. Then she remembered.

"Devlin?" she asked.

"Who are you?" he countered, unsure of who she was and how she knew his name.

"Devlin, this is your mother Gwen," Ben said calmly. Devlin hid away from the stern face that was scrutinizing him.

Gwen stopped, her expression softened, "Who raised him all this time? I was going to, and I remember I left him with grandpa, I didn't think he'd like the plane ride over there."

"We did, he's been a part of this family."

"Son, I'm sorry," she patted him on the head.

Devlin seemed to understand, "Mom, you didn't remember me, and why would they say, "here, raise this kid, he's yours," if you didn't know? Besides, even though I miss you, it's not your fault."

"Still, you should have told me Ben, I would have done it, even though I didn't remember."

"I think we made a good decision raising him. It would have been hard on you."

"Listen Ben, I'll get the legal papers drawn up and I'll get custody of him, so he can live with me."

"But what about your side business?" Ben asked. Gwen's side business was a very interesting sort, not one that a kid should know about.

"Don't worry about it," she assured him. Devlin frowned, but had no idea what they were talking about.

Devlin and Ken were talking about things that kids normally talk about, movies, the latest toys and videogames. That sort of thing.

She told them about some of the work she'd been in, they were enthralled by her stories and Ben said he was almost jealous, and half tempted to retire from hero work to join Section 9.

"Believe me, Ben, your work as a hero is definitely a good thing, and you're definitely needed. Leave the crazy stuff to me, okay."

"Yeah, when I heard you'd been killed, I really thought you were dead, how did you survive getting sniped in the head?"

"Wait a second; Mom got her head shot off?" Devlin asked.

"Not so loud, we're in public. I remotely controlled my prosthetic body, and transferred my consciousness to the Net before I was shot. It wasn't easy, but I made it back to my body."

"You're really amazing, you know that Gwen?" Julie asked.

"We've always been special, all of us, but it's still strange that I can't use my Manna anymore, must be because my body's no longer organic."

"You got some artificial food from the menu, I won't try it, I heard it's horrible for normal people."

"Yeah, but it's fine for me. Don't worry about it; I'll pay for the meal. All of it. Get whatever desert you want."

"Gwen, we can't let you do that!" Julie protested.

"Don't worry about it, I've got plenty of money, and I rarely spend it anyway."

"In that case, I'll get some champagne, to celebrate this momentous occasion. And a slice of that legendary key lime pie!"

"Ben, now you're just taking advantage of her!" his wife scolded.

"She said she'd pay for it," he said smugly.

Gwen felt herself give a small smile. Typical Ben.

Finishing their meal, she paid for it with her card. Ben's eyes when wide. "Platinum. What do they pay you anyway?"

"A lot," she replied. Devlin didn't know his mother had tons of money.

"Devlin, you can't tell anyone what your mother does for work, if they ask, just say it's a boring government desk job," Ben instructed his nephew, "No one can know your mother does special work."

"Aw man, Mom has the coolest job and I can't tell anybody," Devlin groaned.

"Devlin, I'm going to do what I can to adopt you so you can come and live with me. You might not see me a lot because of my work but I'll spend as much time with you as I can."

"Really, I'll be able to live with you?" Devlin was overjoyed. He'd heard so many stories about his mother from Uncle Ben, and now he'd be able to live with her, and she'd be there for him. Gwen's accident had occurred when he was just born, so he'd never seen her before, except in pictures and old video. He knew about his father, but he didn't like to talk about him. The fact that he was never around made him angry, but his mother's reasons he could understand. His father just didn't care.

They parted ways and she went home. A few more days and she'd be ready to go back to work.

* * *

"So, what have we got this time?" Motoko asked, Kevin decided to give her a straight answer.

"We had the TV broadcast interrupted awhile ago playing this message." He hit the play button.

"We are the members of Veritas, we intend to expose the secrets of the corrupt government and reveal the truth to the entire world, about the aliens, and all the secrets that the government has hidden, using alien technology to further their war. We will use said alien technology to stage an attack on the Prime Minister."

"Oh, brother," Batou frowned, "Another loony group. This shouldn't even warrant our attention."

Daisuke Aramaki nodded.

"We would pass off something like this as utterly ridiculous. But it's true, the government does use alien tech from time to time. But they are dangerous; they've been known to attack government workers and buildings. And seeing that we do have an alien tech expert amongst us, we'll ask you Kevin. How credible are these claims?"

"They're pretty credible, if you know how to gather information, you can find the alien tech black market," Kevin explained. "Have what they want; they'll sell it to you, that includes information."

"I see, what do you want us to do Chief?" she asked her boss. Only he had the authority to authorize an investigation.

"Check into these strange claims, and since this is apparently involving extraterrestrials, contact the Plumbers."

"The Plumbers, but we don't need our bathrooms fixed," Batou frowned.

"Actually Chief, there's no need for us to contact them, you see, I'm already a Plumber," Motoko removed a familiar badge from her pocket. Kevin stared, how had she gotten a Plumber's badge?

"I see, I remember your cousin Ben told me that you used to help him before your accident."

"I'll get started right away Chief, and I want to take my team, any questions asked I'll just say they are a part of my team and as Plumber, I have the authority to use government assets."

"I see, report back on anything you can find, and keep tabs on the Prime Minister," Aramaki finished. He turned and left.

"Since you're staring at me Kevin, yes, it's just as you suspect," Motoko said, she paused for a moment and spoke again. "I've been here the entire time."

Kevin stared, the voice that now came from the Major was that of Gwen Tennyson, she'd been alive all that time and he hadn't known.

"Why the Hell didn't you tell me?" he demanded angrily.

"Because it was none of your damn business what happened to me. Not like you cared anyway. This conversation's over, get back to work!"

Kevin walked away, too confused and angry to say anything, he'd confront her about this later, but he just had to keep his mind on his job until later.

"Damn, Levin, what'd you do to piss her off?" Batou asked.

"She's my ex-girlfriend," he admitted.

"Sucks to be you."

"You don't know the half of it."


	3. Chapter 3: Reconnecting

**Chapter Three: Reconnecting **

_**Author's Note: **__I wrote this chapter and plot idea before I heard about the shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. Please keep those people in your prayers, 'cause that's just way too tragic and messed up._

"This group is giving us a hard time, Major," Batou frowned. "You'd think that they'd have come after the Prime Minister by now."

Section 9 was scattered about the building. Togusa, Saito, and Borma were on the roof and Gwen, Batou and Kevin were there as well, but they were observing the guests. Ishikawa was busy back at the base keeping tabs on everything.

"Status report, anyone see anything suspicious?" she asked.

"No, nothing yet, no signs of anything unusual," Batou replied.

"Same here," Kevin added.

"All's clear here Major," Togusa looked around, scanning the roof.

"Nothing here either, I'm going to circulate," she walked off. Gwen saw Ben and Julie there with Kenny and they were all nicely dressed. They weren't normally the types to go to anything involving politics, but Prime Minister Yoko Kayabuki had personally invited him to ask his opinion on the Extraterrestrial Anti-Crime Unit act that would create a task force to assist him. Ben was against it, he was trying to convince her that the Plumbers could handle the situation and that the government didn't need to get involved.

"Hello Ben," Gwen greeted her cousin. It wasn't public knowledge that Gwen was still alive since the news of her apparent death in the plane crash had been on record no one knew of her new identity.

"Major Kusanagi, I hope I'm not in your way," Ben said quietly. In her cyberbrain he added. "Is this group even going to show up?"

"Ma'am," Devlin said, trying to keep a serious, "I-have-never-met-you-before" expression on his face.

"You're just fine, Ben," she said, still serious. She added, "I'm sure they'll show. This is a very important get together and they wouldn't pass up this chance with so many powerful people here."

Suddenly, the lights went out, Gwen immediately ordered the others to switch to night vision only to find that Batou wasn't responding.

"Togusa, do a sweep, I'll see to Batou. Ben, get over to the Prime Minister," she rushed over to her subordinate. Ben and Kenny were already gathered around Prime Minister Kayabuki.

Gwen checked Batou, he was just unconscious, and yet it appeared to her that he had somehow had his electronic power drained.

Both cousins looked up at the same time and saw a shadowy figure running towards them. They both moved quickly, Ben transforming into Spider-Monkey and Gwen vaulting into a flying kick. They hit him head on and the figure stumbled back. It suddenly removed a pair of guns and started firing. Kenny moved, and quickly activated the Omnitrix to turn himself into XLR8 to grab the Prime Minister and pull her to safety. Devlin managed to create a shield and tried to block all the bullets, but he heard someone scream and rushed over to help them.

"Saito, he's headed for the roof, if you can, take the shot!" she ordered.

Ben and Gwen were running at full tilt, he'd transformed into XLR8 as well, she could still manage to keep up with him, he could go faster than his current pace, but it was dark in the building and he didn't want to startle the attacker before he had adequate backup.

Arriving on the roof, they heard the gunfire of Togusa, Borma, and Saito.

"Major, I tried to go for a headshot but I didn't hit him in the vitals, I blew off the helmet instead and he took a dive off the roof, we jumped down to find him, but he just disappeared.

Ben and Gwen both came to an abrupt stop as they saw a dark figure vanish. He was using active camouflage and she was trying to backhack the assassin's brain, suddenly, her connection stopped, someone had managed to stop her backhack, whoever they were they were really good.

"Dammit! He got away!" they exclaimed in unison.

"And he looked awfully familiar too," Gwen said quietly.

"I'm sorry, Major, my cyberbrain just shut off unexpectedly," Batou said. "By the time I came to, I didn't see anyone there."

"Well _something_ happened," she scowled. They'd managed to avert disaster but that was a close call. They were going to find these guys and stop them for good.

* * *

_She was laughing, smiling as they stumbled into her apartment. He managed to shut the front door and she practically jumped into his arms._

"_Gwen, easy," Kevin laughed. "You're heavy!"_

"_I am not! Besides, you're strong enough to hold me up!" she protested. Gwen wrapped her arms around his neck. She'd twined her legs around his waist and he had to maintain his balance while supporting her._

"_What is it Gwen?" Kevin inquired. _

"_Don't you want children? We're getting married tomorrow. And I've always wanted a family." She'd never looked happier, except on the night he'd proposed to her._

"_I don't know," Kevin frowned, looking thoughtful. _

"_Do you really have to think about it?" Gwen asked, gently kissing his lips. Kevin began responding, his mouth moving with hers. _

"_No, I really don't think so. We'll have a few I suppose," he murmured. He kissed her again and inhaled deeply. Who was he to refuse her anything? _

"_You really don't mind doing this before the wedding?" Kevin asked. _

"_We're getting married tomorrow, it won't matter anyway," she smiled._

"_As long as you're okay with it, I love ya Gwen, you know that?" he asked sweetly. _

Gwen snapped out of her reverie. The memories were becoming more frequent. Kevin Levin brought back so many things to her cyberbrain and the resolve to not to care or let her emotions get in the way of their work relationship was starting to waver. But she'd almost married him! It was the day of her wedding when he'd gone crazy and absorbed so much energy he'd transformed again, he'd tried to ignore the feeling but he couldn't control himself. They'd never gotten married due to the fact that they'd started fighting; having Devlin and then the accident and it didn't really matter to her because she had a new identity now.

Devlin. Her son. She felt remorse that she'd never been able to raise him herself. She hadn't been able to tell Kevin because she feared he would hurt him if he found out, or manipulate him into becoming a criminal. She'd been happy that she was having a baby, but she never imagined that it would have been without Kevin in her life.

She promised herself she'd do her best to raise Devlin. She'd had little experience with children, even though she hadn't really liked them. But during the investigation concerning the Individual 11 and their leader Kuze, she'd rescued a boy named Chai from some Yakuza thugs and he'd showed her the drugs he was planning to smuggle out for money.

For some reason, she'd felt sorry for him, but she hadn't known why. Now that her memory had returned it was probably due to the fact that Kevin had been a street kid when she'd first met him. After she'd stormed the Yakuza's building to rescue him from the deal he'd gone to that would definitely end up with him dead, she'd told him to make a good life for himself.

She wondered what had become of Chai, hopefully he'd gotten out of the street gangs and had a good life for himself in Taiwan. She'd slept in the same bed with him, shirtless and she remembered the questioned he'd asked her. He'd asked her if cyborgs with full prosthetics had sex, she'd answered him, "You care to find out?"

She didn't think too much when it came to her sexuality; she'd experienced intimacy with both men and women. Mainly for the sake of having the experience and discovering just who she was, rather than romance or love anything like that.

It would have bothered her old self and she would have never seen herself saying something remotely like that, but she was very different now than she was back then.

Maybe she'd gone out and done those things to find a connection like the one she had once shared with Kevin. Her girlfriends Kurutan and Ran were people that she'd had a connection with but it wasn't the same, her bond with Kevin had been truly special and no one had ever replaced that, not even Batou, whom she felt close to, or Kuze, the terrorist who had once been her hospital bedmate after the plane crash and the first boy she'd ever loved since she began her new life.

Julie was her best friend and even before her memories came back, they had become friends again. She knew that Julie was married to Ben and never had any sort of intimate relationship with her, after all Ben kept claiming that they were cousins and even she knew there were things you just didn't do.

Julie didn't even mind that Gwen was bisexual; deep down Gwen suspected that Julie knew she missed Kevin, but hey, Julie was not going to tell her that the first boy she'd ever loved was a crazy psychopath. Not that she remembered it anyway.

Ben had thought it was a little strange, considering how she'd always been close to Kevin when she was younger, but did not voice his opinions about her lifestyle either positive or negative. He just accepted her and loved her, and all he really wanted was for her to remember him and that they were family.

Deep down, she had enjoyed watching over Chai and in her heart she knew she'd wanted children and a family, but had no idea where those desires came from. Now she'd have to bond with her son Devlin.

What was she going to do about her side business? She supposed she could stop and that they probably wouldn't notice she'd quit visiting, it wasn't that important to her anyway. It was something she did in her off time, more like a hobby than anything. Perhaps it was the thrill of e-sex or the fact that it was illegal and very lucrative, it seemed hypocritical since she worked in government, but it still made a lot of money, not nearly as much as her government job, but if she quit and just had her business she'd still make plenty of money to live comfortably.

Still, she might quit soon, she didn't want to have to explain herself to her son, nor have other people make fun of him because of her. She wasn't selfish; she decided she'd probably stop once she got custody of Devlin.

She put it out of her mind and finally finished filling out the custody papers. Hopefully, she'd be able to take Devlin home soon. She was looking forward to having her son in her life again.

* * *

Devlin and Kenny were running, desperately trying to find cover, trying to avoid being hit. They sprinted across the field looking for the nearest bunker.

"Whatever you do, don't get hit!" Devlin shouted. "We just have to take them out and then we win!"

Despite being 10 and 11 they were very formidable paintball participants, they were offered spots in the tournament due to the fact that they were Ben10,000's son and nephew and the sponsors thought that having a big name in the roster would draw the crowds, and it had.

"Just one more shot," Devlin muttered. He managed to somersault behind a bunker as he continued firing.

"Showoff!" his opponent shouted, trying to hit him. Kenny poked his head up and fired, knocking him over.

"Devlin and Ken Tennyson are declared winners by the judges!" the announcer said loudly.

They were given a trophy and some very nice gear as a prize and Ken saw his dad coming toward them.

"Hurry up and get changed, I need to go see your Aunt Gwen," Ben told them.

"Really? Sweet!" they exclaimed in unison. Ben drove them to the Government building.

Devlin and Kenny followed Ben into the Government building. It seemed to Devlin that the government building was really boring with a lot of people working on computers.

They headed down to the lower levels and he saw a lot of people working on more computers. It seemed so dull.

"Ishikawa, where's the Major?" Ben asked a guy who was sitting as a computer.

"She's on break, I think she's at the shooting range," he said, "Down that way." He pointed to a room down the hall.

"Sorry, Kenny, Dev, you can't go in there," Ben said, "It's too loud and you're probably not allowed in there anyway."

"Aw!" the boys complained.

"Just entertain yourself," Ben told them.

"That's no fun," Devlin scowled.

"Mind if we use this computer to watch a video of our tournament mister?" Kenny asked.

"Sure, what kind of tournament?" Ishikawa asked.

"Paintball," Kenny replied.

"Sounds fun," he said, he took this disc and pulled up the video.

Ben found Gwen who was busy practicing with her gun. She looked at him when she heard the door shut.

"Hello Ben, so you're the one that the Plumber's sent." She stopped firing and put it down. "Didn't think they'd send you to debrief me, or is this just an excuse to pay me a visit."

"Yes, they sent me, since I can turn into aliens who better than me to debrief them? Unfortunately I don't have time to train them because I'm always busy. Gwen, I brought Devlin and Kenny with me."

"I see," she began walking out with him. She saw Batou, Saito, Togusa and Ishikawa gathered around a computer screen.

"You boys are pretty good," Batou smiled. "Call us in twenty years, we'll recruit you."

"You're just saying that to be nice, Mister Batou," Devlin said.

"Just call me Batou, you're making me feel weird with the Mister thing."

"Fine, we're pretty good, but not that good."

"You're the youngest person I've seen who can make shots like that."

"Aw come on," Devlin laughed.

"Must be 'cause of your mom," Kenny joked.

"Your mom? I thought you were both Ben's kids," Batou said.

Saito watched as Devlin scored a headshot on the screen. "You got a lot of potential, both of you, if Ken retired from the hero business and joined the military; you'd both have real good careers."

"You've watched me on the mega screens?" Kenny asked. Saito nodded, he's periodically watch the fights if he had the time, it was kind of nice that Nihama had its own heroes.

"I'm not that good," Devlin told them.

"Don't be so modest, that's one Hell of a shot son," Gwen said.

"Major? He's yours?" Batou asked. That was a surprise.

"Yes, I had him a long time ago," she told him.

"You have him with Kevin?" Batou asked.

Devlin stared. "How do you know about my dad?'"

"He works here kid," Batou told him. "I'm surprised he hasn't seen you yet. Probably working on his car in the garage."

"Heh, figures, he never cared about me, mom's got a legit reason for not being around, but dad's just a jerk."

"I still have plenty of lunch time left, we'll eat out," Gwen told him.

"Okay, will you show me around?"

"Nope," she replied. "Don't want you to get into trouble. Come on Devlin, you come to Kenny, your dad won't mind. Let's go."

Both boys followed her out. Kevin walked into the room.

"Where's she going, and who's the squirt?" Kevin asked.

"Yours I think, at least that is what she says; you left her with a baby. No wonder she hates you," Batou said.

Kevin was stunned, he'd seen the boy; he was his very image. But when? He hadn't ever remembered Gwen even being pregnant, even when he was insane, but he did recall she'd disappeared for five months. Maybe that was why.

"Hello Kevin," Ben said calmly. Kevin was a little nervous. He would have preferred that the hero were angry and yell and scream at him, but the man was very calm and his tone was almost conversational.

"Is that kid really mine?" he asked.

"You have no right to call him yours, but he's Gwen's son, yes," Ben said.

"When did that happen?"

"She found out she was pregnant soon after you went insane. She didn't want to tell you because of what you might do. Considering how close you two were, I'm not surprised."

"I loved her, still do," he muttered.

Batou chuckled. "You're a selfish son of a bitch; you aren't capable of loving anyone. The Major's too good for someone like you."

"If you really loved Gwen, you wouldn't have nearly killed her by draining her life force. She was your fiancée and she almost died because of you, and if I hadn't arrived and kicked the crap out of you, she would have."

Batou jumped to his feet and slammed Kevin against the wall.

"If I have known this before, I would have shot you dead you bastard!" he snarled. "You're lucky she didn't remember this or she'd have killed you when we caught you."

"She was your family, and you almost killed her!" Togusa joined in. Being a married man with children, he knew what it was like to have a family. Anything that had to do with domestic disputes set him off.

"Take it easy boys," the Major's voice echoed in all their heads. "Taking all your anger out on him won't help. I'll deal with him later."

"Whatever you say, Major. You got lucky Kevin," Batou snarled. "I'll be watching you."

"Don't waste your time, it's not like she'd have anything to do with me now," Kevin brushed off Batou and walked away.

He had a whole lot to think about and he still had to figure out how to reconcile with Gwen, but it seemed impossible. Still, he had to try; it was the only thing in his life worth doing.

* * *

Devlin looked around at the very nice restaurant that his mother had taken him to. He'd ordered something he'd wanted off the menu. He was very happy to be with his mother and she seemed to smile more than when she was at work.

"So, tell me about your life," Gwen prodded. Devlin began to tell her some stories, mainly his school life and martial arts classes he was taking. He sometimes helped Kenny with hero work, but didn't treat it like a full time job.

"How would you boys like to help me with something?" she asked. Devlin and Kenny both leaned forward.

"What?" they asked in unison.

"Since Ben can only debrief us since he has his hero work, and my team doesn't have any experience with extraterrestrials, I would like to train them using Kenny's alien heroes since you have the omnitrix and Devlin, I know that you've inherited some of my old powers and some from your father. I'll ask Ben of course, but I'm sure he'll approve since I'm making this my responsibility."

"We'll really get to help you, Aunt Gwen?" Kenny asked.

"Once I get approval from the Chief, we'll get started," she said. Gwen knew she'd have no problem convincing the Chief, convincing the rest of her team might be a challenge.

"All right!" both boys exclaimed.

"But you can't tell anyone about this, got it?" she ordered.

"Yes," they nodded. They were just excited to be a part of something so cool and secret.

They finished eating and she took them back to headquarters.

Section 9 Chief Daisuke Aramaki greeted her. "Did you enjoy the time with your son Major?"

"Yes I did. I have a proposition, I request that my son and my nephew help train the rest of my team on how to engage extraterrestrials since they aren't our normal area of expertise, I have plenty of experience fighting them but not the others."

"What about your cousin, does he approve?"

"I'm going to discuss it with him."

"if he approves then you have my permission to proceed. Don't forget about the Veritas investigation," he reminded her.

"I won't Chief," came her reply. She turned and went to find Ben, who was telling some of her team old stories of the old days.

"Sounds like you've had an interesting life, Major," Saito said. "Magician, marital artist, you've got quite a bit of experience under your belt."

"I just can't quite believe you weren't a normal human to begin with," Togusa said. "An Anodite energy being? I find it kind of far-fetched."

"It's true," Kevin said, walking into the room. "I was there when her grandmother told her."

"He's correct," Gwen said. "Ben, what have you found out?"

"Concerning the Veritas, group, I haven't been able to dig up ulterior motives besides the ones on the broadcast, but I did find out who their leader is. And it's not good."

"Who is it? You sound like you know him," Gwen said. This couldn't be good.

"Mike Morningstar is the leader even though he didn't appear on the television; I've learned it's him."

"Michael, there's a face I never want to see again," she sighed.

"Major, who's Michael?" Batou asked.

"An old nemesis, someone who's never really left me alone," Gwen explained quietly.

"More like your personal stalker," Kevin smirked. "He's a real creep."

'You were just jealous because I liked him."

"That was before he tried to kill you."

"So did you."

"You two, let's not get into an argument," Ben warned. "Just stick to the current events."

"I haven't been able to find their hideout, but I'm still working on it. I'll let you know if I find anything."

"Ben, I need to talk to you in private," Gwen approached her cousin. She linked with him.

"Ben, I want to have Devlin and Kenny help train my team so they can handle any alien threats. But I need your permission. I wouldn't want anything otherwise."

"Julie, what do you think?" Ben asked his wife.

"It'd be good if Kenny got some more experience and training would help him," She answered him through her cyberbrain. "As long as she thinks he'll be okay I'm fine with it."

"Good, we'll get started right away. Ben, please unlock the aliens you face the most in the Omnitrix for Kenny," Gwen cut off the communication.

"You sure about this Major? They're kids," Togusa asked.

"Yes, my cousin's been doing hero work since he was ten years old. They'll be fine, and having some experience with alien beings before hand will make fighting any we come across much easier."

"Saito, Batou, get the paintball guns, we have to start training. Devlin, Ken, get follow Togusa downstairs. We're going to start training right away."

"All right!" both boys shouted. They followed Togusa down to the training area.

Kevin watched them go; the ache in his heart grew worse every second. He'd have to find a nice stiff drink after work.

* * *

Kevin staggered down the street, half drunk. He'd felt depressed again and wandered down the street. He stumbled through the doorway of a building.

"What do you need big guy, we provide all kinds of things," a man at the front counter said. "You look a little lonely, could hook you up. You want a sex bot or you could try e-sex."

"Wha that?" Kevin slurred.

"E-sex is when you engage in sex through your cyberbrain, directly through your nervous system, handsome guy like you could make good money off it if you want too. But you can only do it with members of the same gender, 'cause it really hurts if you try it the other way."

"I jus' got lost," he murmured, that did not sound like his idea of a good time. He liked pretty girls anyway. He should have gone to the red light district instead. He wasn't even sure how'd he'd gotten into this place to begin with.

He stumbled down a hallway looking for the bathroom. He finally managed to find one that said restroom and he knew that if he could get there and vomit he'd feel a lot better.

He heard soft noises coming from another room. Curious, he pressed his ear to the door.

His eyes widened. He couldn't believe it, _Gwen_ was one of the people on the other side of that door.

"_But you can only do it with members of the same gender, 'cause it really hurts if you try it the other way."_

He was confused, she certainly didn't act like a lesbian, he'd never seen her with another girl, but they weren't friends anymore so he had never been able to spend time with her outside of work so he couldn't confirm it either way.

It made him so angry, he could hear the pleasurable sounds they all made and it reminded him of that night they'd spent together, the night before everything had fallen apart for both of them, and the only night he'd been truly happy. He wouldn't have been so angry if she'd had another boyfriend, but it seemed to him that he wasn't good enough for her anymore and that she found comfort in other women just didn't seem like her.

But he realized that she wasn't really the person he knew anymore was she? He hated himself, if he hadn't gone crazy they would have had a wonderful life together, no cybernetic bodies, no fighting and arguing, just them and their son. They would have been heroes. Sure her life was just fine and she had everything she'd ever wanted, but he'd always be the one left on the outside, and it was his fault.

He had to get out of here, he couldn't take it anymore, he barreled into the men's restroom and found the nearest stall to puke in.

He'd never felt so miserable in his life, not when he'd turned into a monster after messing with the Omnitrix, not when he'd gone crazy at the Forge of Creation, not when he'd lost his mind on his wedding day. The major difference between then and now, was that she'd always been there, always cared about him, always wanted to help him.

Now he was alone, and she wasn't there for him.

He didn't think his cybernetic body could cry, but he saw the tears dripping onto his hands. He was too miserable, he didn't have anyone to turn to, all the nights he'd spent out, all the women he'd been with, they'd just eased the ache of the fact that Gwen wasn't there, but now she was, and it tormented him beyond reason.

He'd always been a sap for romantic movies, but he knew that life didn't work that way.

He managed to get out of the bathroom and saw a small alcove where he could sit out of sight. He continued to cry as quietly as possible, he would never forgive himself if someone saw a 42 year old crying like a small child, he wondered if his cyberbrain was having a breakdown.

He heard someone walking toward his direction. He shut off his vocals and sat there, turning away, hoping whoever it was didn't notice him.

The footsteps receded and he left, whoever they were they went into the lavatory. He wandered into the street and began walking; he had to get as far away from her as possible. He would return to what made him feel most comfortable, life on the street. It suited him best, and she wouldn't care anyway.

Gwen was preparing to leave; her friends didn't know her real name and still called her Motoko. She came out of that room fully dressed. She thought she heard something coming over from a comer near the restroom but decided it wasn't her business and went into the restroom. Still, she wondered who it could have been and had a funny feeling come over her. She put it out of her mind. She had work to do tomorrow.


End file.
